Playtime
by dldaddy
Summary: When Riley convinces John to spend a day with her at the recently opened fair, neither have any idea of the danger that awaits them. Set in season 2.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello all. This is my first foray into the TSCC fanfiction. I do not own any of the characters, etc... I just like to watch them on the awesome show. That is all. Please R&R.**_

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John listened to the code being punched into the telephone as he awaited the sound of her voice. Riley's chipper "Hi!" made a smile stretch across his face, a nice reprieve from his gloom and doom existence.

"So what are you doing all afternoon?" John paused and tucked around the corner as Cameron walked into the opposite side of the room.

"Probably studying, staying here until mom gets back with some supplies."

"Supplies? Sounds so… formal. Well anyway, you aren't staying home. The fair just opened up and you are coming with me. I think we both need to get out of the house. Come and get me in 30 in front of Brewster's." Riley hung up before John could protest. Sighing, He turned back around the corner, right into Cameron.

"Who called?" Cameron cocked her head in an inquisitive fashion that irritated John. Must she try to mimic humans so well? Was she trying to make him forget what she was? Well she couldn't, her soulless eyes would see to it.

"None of your business." John grabbed his jacket and began putting it on while Cameron watched in the same head-cocked fashion.

"Where are you going? Your mother said…"

"I know what she said. The same thing she always does. I have to get out of this house. Get away from you for a while." John stopped and thought about that. Had she been human such a statement would have crushed her. Cameron didn't flinch.

Still, something got the better of him as he turned back toward the machine. "That was Riley, ok? She wants to go to the fair. Probably only be gone a couple of hours."

Cameron finally moved her head, only to cock it to the opposite side. "I've never been to a fair. They seem to be quite dangerous. Non-regulated, complaints of worker intoxication and sparse inspection records."

"Listen, nothing bad will happen, Riley and I will go there for a little while, ride a few rides, eat stale popcorn and then come home."

"I am coming with you."

"No, you're not. You creep Riley out and I want her to have some fun for once. I want to have fun for once." Not giving Cameron a chance to argue or analyze, John closed the door and jumped into the truck. Its engine roared to life and as John watched Cameron walked right into his path.

Frustrated, John threw up his hands and collapsed back in his seat. Running over her was out of the question, although for a moment he wondered what would happen. With a fresh smile on his face he pressed the accelerator and the truck rocked and snarled. Cameron stood motionless and looked through him, daring him to do it.

John steeled himself and put the truck in drive. His heart raced and his hands began to sweat. He had no intention of driving over her, but he wondered how she would react to his little game of chicken. He held the brake and hit the gas again and the truck lurched forward. Cameron remained unfazed.

The truck lurched again, inching closer to the machine. Cameron stood her ground and remained motionless. The truck was now right on top of Cameron, and the next jump would hit her. Both looked at each other as John gritted his teeth. That same feeling swelled up inside of him as he threw the truck into park. "Damn." John jerked his head with a "get in" gesture. Cameron smiled.

"I have seen that game before." It had been ten gloriously quiet miles since anyone had spoken, but Cameron's admission broke the silence. "On a late night movie. The kids in the town wanted to dance, but the town leaders wouldn't let them. The new boy played by Kevin Bacon was an outcast that few people liked." Cameron went silent as she thought about something intently. Was she thinking? John could imagine all her data paths lighting up; cities of circuits flashing like a time elapsed city scene.

"Few people like me." Cameron stared at nothing out the window, and John felt a pang of guilt.

"Well you are a little hard to get along with. You are not what people would consider outgoing. You actually kinda freak people out."

"You are not outgoing either John. Not now, not ever." The conversation ended as the truck silently droned down the highway to Riley's.

"They played chicken with tractors." John didn't care to hear about a scene in a movie he hadn't seen, but listened anyway.

"Ren won the match when Chuck got scared and veered off the road. Did you get scared? I would not have moved."

"No I don't suppose you would have. And no, I didn't get scared, I just wouldn't have ran over you."

"Why?" Cameron turned her gaze back to John and the hint of curiosity in her eyes did scare him.

"Because mom would have been mad if I had damaged the truck." Being fed up with the conversation, John whirred the knob on the radio and music began blaring about the cabin. Cameron looked out the windshield, seeming to pout, and John liked that display even less than the others.

The truck pulled to a stop in Brewster's parking lot and John spotted riley sitting at a table with blue jeans and a blue shirt that brought her eyes to a lovely green. It was a nice contrast to the all black that Cameron had on. The sun's light caught her hair just right, making it glow about her head, and for a moment John got to forget machines and war and doom.

Riley waved upon recognizing John and hopped off the bench she was perched on; shattering the picturesque scene she had just been a part of. As she got closer, her smile faded. Snapping back to reality, John opened the door. "Stay here."

"I see your sister had to come along." The words hissed out of Riley's mouth, but she quickly regained her composure and smiled.

"So are we going or what?"

"Now is as good a time as ever."

Riley climbed up in the vacated front seat while Cameron glared at her from the back. The always happy blonde gave the machine a curt smile, then let it fade as she looked back to John. Riley motioned to Cameron with her eyes. John shrugged as Riley's hand slid over his.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The truck squeaked to a stop and John was first out of the truck. The silence that had filled the cab was replaced with a composition of a rickety roller coaster, a loud organ blaring from the carousel and screams from the nearby tilt-a-whirl. John took it in for a moment as a large hydraulic arm lifted the rotating cylinder into the air and cocked it sideways.

"There is sufficient centrifugal force to keep the body pressed to the walls, however the revolutions are only minimal to ensure safety." John hadn't heard Cameron walking up to him. He silently cursed at himself. He could never let his guard down like that. And he hated it.

"You ready to ride or did you just come to stare?" Before John could answer Riley grabbed his wrist and dragged him amongst the Teapots and The Spider Spin as people screamed from their twirling buckets. Riley finally released him in front of the ride called the Bullet. Its capsule swung like a pendulum before stopping at the peak of its swing, the girl inside screaming as if she were being murdered. The capsule then lazily fell from the height, shooting past the trio and completing another rotation.

"You want to ride… this?" Riley nodded her head and continued to stare at the contraption as the capsule flashed by them, a wave of air rushing over John's body. Cameron appeared by his side. "Don't say anything. I am going on the ride with her. It will be fine." The machine continued to look the ride over as it slowed, but said nothing.

The capsule lid shut over John as he buckled in. Riley was behind him, facing the opposite direction. Sudden acceleration gripped him as the ride began to swing. Soon it was swinging in wide arcs as John's world turned upside down. On the next swing the capsule twisted and his world was righted and Riley screamed. A feeling crept up inside John as the ride swung him back toward the ground and he let out a yell. It was a feeling he had been missing for so long. He was having fun.

Suddenly the ride began to decelerate and the feeling of inertia began to ease. John could hear yelling below.

"You crazy bitch!" John could barely make out the scene as he swung by, but it was obvious the ride operator wasn't pleased with Cameron.

"What's going on?" Riley asked as the ride finally slowed to a stop. "Not sure, but it looks like Cameron is in the middle of it."

John stepped from the ride and noticed Cameron had something in her hand. His eyes then wandered to see the ride controls with a button forcibly removed from it.

"What did you do?" John looked back to Cameron, his eyes filled with anger.

"She broke the ride is what she did! I don't know how, but she pulled the start button right out of its socket. I am going to call the cops!"

"Don't do that. Here, I can fix it." John held out his hand. "Give me the part, Cameron."

"But you were screaming. Something was wrong…"

"Nothing was wrong. I was just _trying_ to have a bit of fun, but I guess that just isn't going to happen is it? Now give me the button."

"No, how about you get out of here before I call the cops. She already broke it. No way in hell I am letting you mess it up more or hurt yourself and sue me."

John placed the part in the man's hand and turned to walk away. Riley and Cameron followed.

John balled his fists and gritted his teeth as he looked over at Cameron. "Why do you have to ruin everything?"

John felt a hand grip his as Riley got close. "Just let it go and let's get out of here."

"Riley? Is that you?" Both turned to see a younger man dressed in a red and black top - the fair's uniforms - and a large smile with stained teeth. "Its Jake! Do you rememember me?"

"Jake?" Riley asked thoughtfully.

"From the foster home? You may not remember. I left the day you got there, had to strike out on my own. Definitely remember you though." His tone caught John's attention. Which Riley noticed.

"Well hey there… Jake. Sorry, I don't really remember you. This is my boyfriend John. And this is his sister…"

"The breaker of all things." Contempt flowed out of John's mouth.

"So it was her huh? She doesn't look like trouble." Jake looked Cameron up and down and flashed her a smile. "I heard about the little incident with the Bullet."

"Yeah, that was her. Anyway, we are about to leave before they call the cops."

"Shame you guys have to go so soon." Jake's eyes didn't leave Cameron as he talked. With a quick lick of his lips he turned his attention to Riley.

"Listen, the crew is going out drinking tonight, but if you want, I could stay behind and let you guys back in." Jake quickly glanced back to Cameron. "I would be happy to take you on all the rides."

"Thanks, but we need to get back before mom comes looking…"

"Oh come on John, get out and live a little. Me, you, the rides and stars? Sounds like a good time to me! We'll be here."

Riley turned to John and flashed a smile, which John strained to return. Mom was not going to be happy.

Jake walked closer to the group, but directed his attention at Cameron. "Good, then I will see you guys at eleven."


End file.
